In 1962-63, Qormi FC just missed out on promotion to the Second Division.
The following season, however, the Tigers beat the stiff challenge of Senglea Athletic to secure promotion in a thrilling finale.
Qormi deserved the honour but Senglea were to be congratulated for the way they planned and executed their campaign.
The battle between the two contenders raged on and on until the last day of the competition when the league table saw Qormi lead Senglea by just two points.
The difference between the two teams was so close that the two league encounters between them ended in draws. In the first game the spoils were shared after a 0-0 stalemate while the second-round encounter finished 1-1.
So, everything depended on the results of the last two games of the championship, played on Sunday morning of May 24, 1964.
From early morning, people started gathering at the Schreiber Sports Ground to witness the two decisive matches.
The atmosphere was electric. It did not take many people to fill the old ground but on this occasion every nook and corner was full of delirious supporters.
The first game was between Senglea and Naxxar Lions.
A draw was enough for the Lions to save their skins but Senglea needed both points to keep in touch with Qormi.
Senglea strained every muscle in an attempt to score but it was to no avail as the game ended in a 0-0 draw leaving Qormi needing only a point against Gudja to make sure of the championship.
Gudja were rooted to the bottom with only one point. Therefore, no-one expected them to trouble Qormi too much.
In the first period Gudja gave as much as they got and with a little bit of luck, they could have changed ends in the lead. In the second period, however, they lost their plot and two blunders by goalkeeper Camilleri gave Qormi the points.
In Section B, Msida St Joseph collected 24 points out of a possible 28 to walk away with section honours and promotion.
The Saints were in a class of their own, dropping only four points in drawn matches. Msida were joined in Section A by Balzan Youths who won promotion after a tough battle with Sta Venera Lightnings.
Senglea made amends for their championship failure with an excellent run in the knock-out competition. They started with a fine 3-2 victory over Qormi.
Senglea then went on to reach the final after beating Sta Venera 3-1 in the quarter-finals and Naxxar 2-1 in the semi-finals.
Mosta Athletic, Senglea’s opponents in the final, beat Żebbuġ Rangers 2-1 in the first round and then went on to eliminate Mellieħa 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
The semi-final between Mosta and Balzan promised to be a classic encounter between two in-form teams.
However, Balzan disappointed their followers with a mediocre performance, losing 6-0.
The final between Senglea and Mosta failed to live up to expectations.
Tony Muscat, Mosta’s top scorer, was marked out of the game by Ghiller and as a result Salvu Alamango in the Senglea goal was never seriously tested.
The game seemed to be petering to a 0-0 draw when Senglea brought in Schembri who obliged by snatching the winner five minutes before the final whistle.